A Christmas Wish
by SouthernBiscuit
Summary: As Jack and Elizabeth finally are reunited for Christmas, they yearn for another wish to be fulfilled.


Season 5 Christmas Episode

A Jack and Elizabeth Missing Scene

Rated T

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It was getting late.

The band had finished putting their fiddles away and headed out after playing lovely medleys of Christmas favorites. The tables, which had been moved aside for the decorations and makeshift dance floor, were now placed back into their normal position.

The town Christmas party had been a smashing success.

Almost everyone had made his or her way out of the saloon except for the lone remaining saloon employee who was sweeping and the saloon owner who was now wiping down the bar.

And the lone couple sitting at a table in a tucked away corner.

Elizabeth reflected on the evening as she enjoyed the feel of Jack's hands intermingling with her own. She'd never seen so many smiles and hugs as she had when the townsfolk had exchanged wishing tree requests. And, for most of the evening, she and Jack had sat at a table alone, near the corner, hands clasped, just taking it all in.

The food had been wonderful of course. Abigail had seen to that. The decorations had been beautiful and festive. Rosemary had seen to that. The dancing had been merry. The perfect Christmas party.

But she and Jack had only danced to one slow tune. Neither had said anything as they'd just reveled in the feel of being in each other's arms again.

She hadn't wanted to intermingle much nor had she wanted to dance. Other than some polite smiles and acknowledgements to Jack's many well-wishers, she hadn't said much all evening.

She couldn't seem to focus on the party. She hoped she hadn't seemed rude but for the life of her, she couldn't bring herself to care at the moment.

Try as she might, she couldn't bring herself to notice much anything other than the man sitting beside her at the table. She could barely bring herself to take her eyes off of him.

He was _really_ here. She was afraid for the night to end…afraid that it all might be a dream and she'd awaken and it all be gone. That _he_ would be gone again.

So she'd held onto every second with him.

Finally, she looked up as Jack tugged at her hand. "I think we'd best get out of here or Hank's going to turn the lights out on us." Jack winked and nodded his head toward the saloon owner who stood at the bar now wiping down some glasses.

She chuckled and dropped her chin. "Would that be such a bad thing?" The outrageously flirtatious comment easily rolled off of her tongue and she couldn't believe she'd said it.

When had she felt at ease to be so forward with him?

Perhaps in every letter exchanged where she had openly and unabashedly declared her deep, abiding love for him?

Perhaps in every night she'd spent awake wondering if he were alive, wondering if he would come back to her?

Or…perhaps it was all those moments where she'd noticed other couples in town and longed for him to be by her side and to feel his arms around her once more?

Jack raised his eyebrows in surprise and then his mouth quirked and his lips formed into a teasing smile.

"No…I don't think it would be bad…not at all." He paused and cut his eyes toward the barkeeper. "However, I don't really want Hank in the dark with us."

They both chuckled and rose from their seats. Jack briefly released her hand as he pushed their chairs under the table and helped her with her coat. As soon as he wrapped it upon her shoulders, he turned to face her and pushed her hands aside as he began to slowly button the jacket from the bottom.

Surprised, she watched his hands work a moment and then let her gaze come up to study his face. He had never dressed her in this way before and she didn't quite know what to make of the new intimacy. It seemed so…so…

 _Married._

He stared into her eyes as his hands made secure work of the buttons. He reached the final button at her breast and her hands automatically rose to cover his.

He didn't move but just stared at her. They both seemed to hold their breath just taking in the moment between them.

Then, she slowly let her hands fall away and without breaking eye contact, she gave him silent permission to finish. Something flashed in his eyes as he did so, letting the button slide over his finger and tugging the material to fit it securely.

His hands lingered there and they watched each other intently until a noise at the bar behind them broke the spell. Jack stepped away and reached to the table behind her to retrieve his hat before taking her hand in his once more.

They walked toward the doors. Jack nodded over toward the owner. "Enjoyed it Hank."

"Great to have you back in town Jack."

Jack nodded curtly as he held the door open for Elizabeth.

The entry lights now low, she stepped out into the brisk night and found herself very much alone on the deserted sidewalk. She walked up toward the saloon railing and leaned forward against it, letting her gaze look upward at the clear, starry sky.

Her eyes closed a moment in relief.

He was safe. And he was home…for now at least. Her Christmas wish couldn't have been more perfectly fulfilled.

Jack quietly approached behind her and placed his arms around her, his fingers lacing at her mid-section as he tugged her backwards into his warm, encompassing embrace. The fluttering she felt beneath the clasp of his fingers instantly took her breath.

He leaned down and rubbed his lips across her earlobe, speaking low. "Miss Thatcher, you are far too beautiful tonight for a desperate man who has missed you terribly to be alone with like this."

His own very forward words took her breath this time.

She turned in his arms and his lips met hers in the passionate kiss they both seemed to have been waiting for since they'd laid eyes on each other again earlier in the afternoon.

Neither held anything back. Her hands grasped his head as she pulled him down toward her. He wasn't gentle with her this time as he had been earlier. He bit at her mouth with his teeth until her mouth fully opened to his invasion.

She gasped aloud as his tongue silkily caressed her own.

She had little control of the kiss. Jack's long fingers tunneled through her hair and he pushed her head back to reveal her neck. She felt his lips on the soft skin there and loved the feel of his moist, warm mouth against her.

A sound she didn't recognize came from her throat as his lips slid downward and then up again to her chin. She felt him grasp her even tighter and she felt herself being moved backward until her back met the solid wood of the saloon exterior.

His hands grasped her own tightly now placing them beside her head and they continued to taste each other's mouths. There was no space between them and Elizabeth felt her world careening, spinning.

What was going on?

What were they doing?

She called his name.

"Jack…" It came out softly, barely seeming to register with him as his mouth bit at her chin.

"Jack…stop…sweetheart…oh…"

Her second entreaty seemed to get through to him and he ceased kissing her and pulled back ever so slightly just breathing through his nose a long moment. Finally, he let her hands drop to her side and just rested his forehead on hers.

They stayed that way a long moment. Just breathing. Feeling.

"I'm sorry sweetheart. I have missed you… _so very much_."

She released her own long, shaky breath. "No more than I've missed you." She smiled. "Obviously."

He gave her a shaky smile back. "I want you to be my wife…very badly sweetheart." Jack paused, taking in the expression on her face as if unsure if he should say more...go further.

Elizabeth could do nothing but still and hold her breath…as if…as if…her body was waiting for something…more…something it understood better than her mind did.

He leaned closer into her and put his mouth against the soft curve of her ear.

"I need you and…I…desire you in _every way a husband should the woman he loves_."

Her own breath stopped then and her eyes softened and the effect on him was instantaneous and powerful. Taking her by the arm, he pulled her quickly away from the building and placed a quick hard kiss on her mouth before putting his forehead against hers once more as he just held her.

Surprised, Elizabeth's eyes widened and she said nothing but just let him hold onto her.

Jack smiled now a little sadly as he kissed her nose and cheeks ever so softly. "Don't invite me to your place tonight."

Elizabeth sighed loudly and she pressed her forehead back into his. "But why Jack? It's Christmas! And I have a fruitcake and I can make some coffee…I just…I want to talk…to spend more time with you."

He shook his head and then shut his eyes briefly as if in pain. "Because you can't trust me with your virtue tonight sweetheart."

Elizabeth gasped and pulled her head back to look at length into his darker eyes. The raw emotion and need she could see there took her breath.

 _This man._

Oh, this man was her undoing…her biggest strength and weakness.

She loved him so very much.

And in that moment, she wanted nothing more than to do what she knew was very wrong, to do things that she'd been taught were wrong from her mother's knee as a child.

She…She _wanted_ a man. To _be with_ a man. To share her body.

With just _this_ man. In every way she could imagine wanting him, she did. She could feel it as if alive marching all through her. She felt the pull to him, her own desire in every pore of her being. The temptation was a powerful force in that moment between them. She wanted so much to just…forget everything else and give in to what she felt.

"Oh Jack…I don't want to stay away from you. I want…" She paused, unsure of what to say. "…I need to be with you too."

His jaw clenched even harder and he gave a knowing, curt nod.

"Maybe I made a mistake coming home before I could marry you."

"Jack! No! Don't say that!"

He shook his head. "I respect you Elizabeth…I respect what we have together. And…we need to do the right thing. I have to go while I can still remember what that is."

She knew he spoke the truth. He was close to his limits and it wasn't fair of her to continue to push him. She nodded, knowing he was right and she forced herself to pull away from his embrace.

She took his hand in hers and gave it a quick squeeze. "See you in the morning?"

He gave her a tight smile and expelled a long breath. "I wouldn't miss breakfast with the woman I love...for anything."

Elizabeth smiled back at him. "I love you Jack."

"I love you too Elizabeth...more than you can possibly imagine."

And with the promise of a Christmas morning, he watched her with longing eyes as she made her way home beneath the starry sky.


End file.
